Loaf-inverting mechanism for proofers



May 6, 1930. w. ELw op 1,757,078 I LOAF INVER'IING MECHANISM FOR PROOFERS Filed Dec. 15; 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 64 193 0.

w. P. ELWOOD 1,757,078 LOAF mmm MECHANISM-FOR PROOFERS Filed Dec. 15; 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1930 WARD I.nnwoon, or'101411;TFILtnvors; AssIeNoIv T UNION MACHINERY co rANY,

j f org-comm, rrtfixforsf iefcoaroRArIoNor ILLI1\TOIS LoAr-INvER'rING MEcH uIsM r03 rRoorERs This invention relates to. loaf inverting mechanism for. proofers,; and its, principal object isto provide-novel Lmean's' in loaf inverting mechanism for eliminating the, shock I 5 and jar usually occasionediwhentherbuckets V or other carrying elements for-.thel loaves are being tilted for the purpose of dumpingthe the loaves. H 7

loaves from one bucketzintolanother 'toein vert 10 The inventionhasparticularreference to.

that type, of 'proofer's wherein vdough carryi v rthebucketsa. f 1

ing buckets are connectedsto and propelled by a chaino-r chains throughthechamber of the proofer, which lchain passes around sprocket. wheels at theends ofthech'amber,

and the mechanism herein contemplated is employed adjacent one or more of the sprocket wheels Wherebythe buckets may be inverted as they pass the sprocket? wheels associated with the loaf inverting mechanism rthereby dumping the loaves in inverted condition c into other buckets. -It--has been found that the buckets-in'being tilted and assuming their normal suspended condition, heretoforewere subjectto-considerable-shock and jar, and' owingto slight variations in the size rof the buckets, additional machinework was necessary to enable them to-beused with theinverting mechanism. An 7 object of this invention is to provide-cushioning means whereby the shocks and jars are entirely" eliminated and whereby the necessity fors-uch extra machine work on the buckets is eliminateda j i Thevinvention consists; therefore,- in :loaf

inverting -mech-anismfor proofers; having cushionedbuoketrighting elementsjco-operating 'fwith bucket} inverting elements ary ranged i-to, tiltand; right the buckets as ,they passoyer'spnocket wheels at the stations her the lea-ve are nverite 1i tdfun he s w s s intli s eral nov l-f at re he i af-te fully set forth and claimed I 'T inv nt on iszclea x 1 r wi gs ,a nvlpa lyiI) s; speci c t o wh ch tlacrr :wF- gu e is a de elevation ilid pn f ly:i l-:VQfl i fil; pn i udinal section, of a eonveyor gchainyfwith {buekets'thereon and a sprocket wheel over ,portmgralls a as isvcommonly employed ink-the bucket type 7 at the places Where-the us'trated in the I y v i r. sprocket Wheels ands-therebydischarge the v, t 9553, I 1 :contents therefrom.inlinvertedcondition into-95 fragmentalvievv, partly in M showing a simple embodiment of the present zlnventlon applied ..thereto.;i..... v

a plan "ofla pair of buckets and fragments ao'frther conv er; chain .andsup- 1s a detail slde elevat on of one of the bucket inverting device's; Figilisaplan thereof; and Y i ,F g, a lean end elevation'lookingiinxthe rection offthe arrow 5 lin Fig. 3,and showing in connection therewithra fragment rranger 7 Referri-n g' to said drawings, theireference Y character fideslgnates a conveyor chain such proofers Usually saidlchain' extends. back andlf orth inia horizontal direction through an elongated chamber and istrained over sprocket Wheels 7 mounted'atthe ends of the chamber upon suitable shafts 8 which are journaledIinbearingboxes carried by the wallslorframework of the proofer. The buckets 9 are usuallyrarranged in pairs, one bucket on eachsideofthe conveyor chainand connected thereto byapin or short shaft 10 V rigidly-secured in ears'formed on the buckets and rotatably mounted in bosses formedon theli'nks of the conveyor chainr Upon the outer ends of-the bucket are rollers 11 which are in co-axial'a'l'ignmentwith rthepins 10 and'travel upon'rails 12 supported by the walls or 1 framework ,ofthe proofer.

v The rails extendbetweeni-the sprocket .wheels l7; and carry the Weight of the buckets, and

conveyor chain passesfi around the sprocket-wheels; the buckets'arc suspended from the-sprocket Wheels. The buckets are, formed with laterally extending horizontal flanges-13 ,along their upper end ,eclgesand iwithupright flanges 14 along their endfaces, which 'flanges co-operatewith ce;1'-. tain -men1bers of thednverting ,irihihthisiiito invert the buckets as lthey pass around the the nextadjacent bucket th, eb r A. Adj acent =;one or. more i. of {the sprocket vvheels i s lthe loaf inverting mechanisniform- LOG ets'encounter the roller 16 as they pass" over s the sprocket wheel. and are thereby inverted as shown by'the bucketfi Y Pivotal-1y mounted upon. the-' supporting bracket ,as,by abolt 18, is ain'arni 19 which. carries upon its lower end a roller m ranged in the path 13 of the buckets whilein inverted position.

' As shown, the arm 19 is'providedwith a. latertoward the ri ht Fig. 1, where.

An adj ustment therefrom in allyextending lug2-1which formsithe sup- "port for the rollerQ Of "i'lhe: rollers; 16 and 20 may be rotatably mounted upon thelugs 17 and'21 bystud pins 22 threadedly secured in the lugs." The arm 19 is spring pressed as viewed in; Fig; 1 by a coiled compression spring-23whichis'h'eld under compression betweenthe supporting frame 15 and the arm 19.

Asshown, the supporting frame is formed with a recessed lug 2 1 located above the arm 19, and said armis formed with a recessed angularpextension or lug, 2&1 in which the coiled compression spring 2 3 is contained.

stud 25'is threadedly mounted in the lug'24 and provides means for regulating the tension ofthe spring 23. A. rubber or other bumper 26 is secured to and projoc'ts from the side of the supporting bracket 15 in position to hold the arm 19 in proper position to receive the impact from the buckets as they pass over the sprocket'wh-eel 1n inverted condition. 17 6 The bucketinverting device is so located with .respect to the path of movement ofthe buckets as they pass around the sprocket wheel, that the flanges 13 will pass over the roller 16 whilethe flanges 14 encounter the roller 16 and the buckets are tilted into the inverted position taken by the bucket 9 in it will'be seen'thatthe bucket fisinvert'ed with the flange' l i traveling over the roller 16. In this or about this position, the contents of the buckets are discharged an inverted vcondition into the v next ad acent bucket therebelow, designated by. 9 which at As, the bucket 9 cont nues to travel around that time is empty.

the axisof the shaft Sof the sprocket wheel, the flange 13 encountersthe roller 20, and

because of the yielding connection between 7 said roller carrying arm and the supporting bracket, the roller is free to yield, thereby takof movement of the flanges ing up any occasioned by the bucket strik- I lng against it, and, at the same time, permitting the flanges 13 and 14- of the bucket to pass between the rollers 16 and 20. This posit on of the bucket is indicated one shown in dotted? lines at 9. Any variation in the length of the flanges 13 and 14 is compensated for by the spring 23. r

As the bucket @continues its downward ovement aroundthe axis of the shaft 8, the

7 observed when the buckets are inverted while passing around the sprocket wheels that the loaves of bread contained therein are inverted, so that the sides thereof which previouslywereuppermostfall upon the bottonr of the buckets, thereby leavingtbem 'in'invertedcondition'. A 1 It will be observedfthat in case the flanges 18 and 1 1 of any of the buckets are 'longer Q be, the spring 23 will'permifl than they should 7 the arm 19 to yield' further, thereby enabling the flanges to pass between the'rollers 16 and- 20. Furthermore, the action of the spring pressed roller 20 upon the flanges'13 is to aid in. righting the pei-ience, it has been found that the buckets are righted without much,. if any, oscillation or swinging movements thereof after they pass between the inverting mechanism, which is important, since the empty buckets should i be in rightedlposition immediately after passing the the loaves from the next adjacent buckets thereabove. i

. More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention. I desire,

"theref0re, 1'1ot to limit myselfto the exact form of theconstruction shown and described,

but intend, in the following claims, topoint' out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, fand desire to secure by Letters Patent; i 1. In loaf inverting mechanism for proof bucket inverting member lying in the path of I movement taken by-the ,ribs'of the buckets over the sprocket wheel, and a yieldably buckets, and from actual e21 inverting mechanism 'to rece ve ers, the combination with a conveyor chain, I v

mounted bucket righting element lying n the downward path of' mov'em'ent taken by the buckets around the sprocket wheel and yielding to permit the buckets to pass between the bucket inverting member and the bucket. righting element. 1

'ers, the combination"withtraveling suspend- 2. In loaf inverting mechanism for proof-V ed buckets each having horizontal and vertical flanges upon their outer ends, and

means for directing movement of said buckj ets along an arc of a circle, of'a stationarily mounted bucket inverting element lying in of the verticalflanges the path of movement 7 of the buckets and arranged to be encountered by said flanges whereby the buckets are in-' an arc of a circle,

verted'when passing over said element, and a yieldingly mounted bucket righting element lying in the downward path of movement of the horizontal flanges of the buckets when inverted and yielding to permit the buckets to pass between the'stationary bucket invert ing' element and the bucket righting element.

v3. In loaf inverting mechanism for-proof ers, the combination with traveling'suspended buckets eachhaving-horizontal and vertical flanges upon their outer ends, and means for directing movement of said buckets along vertical flanges of the buckets whereby the buckets are inverted as they pass over said roller, and 'a spring pressed arm adjacent said roller and having buckets when inverted. I

4:- In loaf inverting Inechanism'for proofers, the combination with traveling suspended buckets each having cal flanges upon their outer ends, and means for directing movement of said buckets along an arc of a circle, of a-stationarily mounted roller arranged to be encountered by the vertical flanges of the buckets whereby the latter are inverted as they pass over said roller, and

a spring pressed arm having a roller thereon spring pressed toward the first" mentioned roller and lying in the path of movement of the horizontal flanges of the bucket when inverted, said spring pressed arm serving to compensate for variations in the flanges of the buckets. I

5. In loaf inverting mechanism forproofers, the combination with aconveyor chain, a sprocket wheel around which said chain is trained, and buckets tiltably suspended by 3 said conveyor chain and having horizontal and vertical flanges upon their outer ends, of a supporting bracket located adjacent said sprocket wheel, a bucket inverting roller journaled upon said bracket and lying in the path a of movement of the vertical flanges of the buckets and arranged to be said flanges whereby theverted as they pass over said roller, an arm of a stationarily mounted roller arranged to be encountered by thea roller arranged to be en-- countered by the horizontal flanges of the horizontal and vertias they pass over said ally mountedupon said bracketand having 6; In'loaf inverting mechanism for proof- 7 ers, the combination with a conveyor chain, a sprocket Wheel around which said chain is trained, and buckets tiltably-suspended by said conveyor chain and and vertical flangesup'on their outer ends, of a'supporting bracket located adjacent said sprocket wheel, abucket inverting roller ournaled upon, said bracket and lying in the path of movement of the vertical flanges of the buckets and arranged to be encountered by said flanges whereby the buckets are inverted asthey pass over said roller,anarm pivotally mounted upon said bracket and having a roller journaled upon its free end and arranged to be encountered by the horizontal flanges of the buckets when inverted, and ajcoiled compression spring interposed between lugs formed on the supporting bracktrained, and buckets tiltably suspended by said conveyorchain and; having horizontal and vertical flanges upon their outer ends, of

which saidchain is;

having horizontal l a supporting bracket located adjacent said sprocket wheel, a bucket inverting roller. journaled upon said bracket and lying in thepath ofmovement of the vertical flanges of the buckets and arranged to be encountered by said flanges whereby the buckets are inverted roller,

a roller journaled upon its free end and arranged to be encountered by the'horizontal flanges of the buckets when inverted, a coiled compression spring interposed between lugs formed on the supporting bracket and arm and serving to yieldingly hold the roller can ried by the arm towards the other roller, and

an adjustment-stud carried by the lug of the supporting bracket and arranged to vary the tension of said coiled sprin WARD P; iiLwooD.

encountered by buckets are mpivotally mounted upon said bracket, and I 7 having a roller journaled upon its free end and arranged to be encountered by the horizontal flanges of the buckets when inverted, and a spring interposed between said bracket and arm and arranged to yieldingly hold said arm and therewith the roller carried thereby toward the other roller.

an arm pivotllO 

